It is often desirable or necessary to store two or more components of a product separately and to mix the components shortly before use or application. In some cases, the components may react together and thus need to be stored separately, prior to use. In some cases, these components may be of a medical preparation, a food or beverage, a chemical product, a building product or the like.
In the medical field, it is also particularly desirable to mix components in single use batches, to assure consistency in the delivery of the combined components. Compositions comprising at least two of anesthetics, pain killers, antibiotics and antiseptics need to be mixed quickly in emergency medicine, for example. Orthopedic mixtures such as bone fillers and bone cements need to be mixed immediately before use, as do medical adhesives, dental adhesives and the like.
There is therefore a need to provide apparatus and methods to perform in-situ mixing of two or more components in a hygienic, sterile manner, prior to application to a patient. Likewise, many other food/beverage/chemical mixtures need to be mixed in such apparatus prior to use.
The storage and mixing apparatus should preferably store the components separately prior to mixing. Thereafter, using a simple mechanism, mixing should be relatively quick, and the apparatus should be relatively cheap.
Several prior art patent publications in the field include:
US Patent Application Publication No. US2003222102 describes a cap device for bottles, which is capable of mixing an additive contained therein with a material contained in a bottle to prepare a mixture in accordance with a simple rotating action of the cap device relative to the bottle, performed by a user, thus allowing the user to easily prepare the mixture just before taking or using the mixture. The cap device has a cap body tightened to an externally threaded mouth of the bottle, with a funnel part integrally formed in the cap body to discharge the additive from the cap body into the bottle through a lower end thereof. A cap cover is assembled with the cap body to cover an open upper end of the cap body while defining a cavity inside both the cap body and the cap cover to contain the additive in the cavity. The cap device also has a valve means for opening or closing the lower end of the funnel part of the cap body in accordance with the rotating action of the cap body relative to the externally threaded mouth of the bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,312 describes an apparatus for combining liquid or solid components stored in containers includes a cylindrical hollow body for receiving end closures of the containers and at least one cannula for penetrating the end closures. The cannula is mounted in a cannula holder movable in the hollow body, and retainer bridges connect the cannula holder to an inner wall surface of the hollow body. The retainer bridges fracture after the cannula penetrates the end closure in the first container so that the cannula moves toward the second container to penetrate the closure in the second container. Also disclosed is a system including the apparatus, two containers, and outer packaging enclosing the containers and the hollow body.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,018,089 discloses a double syringe apparatus and method for mixing two components.
US Patent Application Publication No. US2009180923A relates to a self-mixing container with a releasable internal vessel and its usage, wherein said self-mixing container comprises a container body, a double-walled external cap and an internal vessel, and through a corresponding production line, assembling of the self-mixing container with a releasable internal vessel will be realized. The invention makes it possible to pack and seal in a cold filling process at least two different materials in one and the same container body respectively. When in use, at least two kinds of materials are mixed and formulated in one and the same container body in a rapid and automatic way, by means of relative movement of the screw-threads by which the container body, the double-walled external cap and the internal vessel are coupled with each other, and engagement of the ratchet and the pawls, without the structure of the container body being damaged, so that initial fresh active components in the materials sealed therein are preserved, and rapid formulation is achieved. Furthermore, the structure is simple, durable and has a low fabrication cost, and it can be used without great effort or time, especially can be used conveniently when carried on, and it can be broadly applied to pharmaceutical, food and beverage, chemical, farm chemical, disinfectants, or fire-fighting equipments field.
US Patent Application Publication No. US2010034574 describes a dispensing device, including inner and outer compartments for housing two different cosmetic liquid materials therein, the outer compartment secured to a cap by threading; a spring biased valve for blocking both openings of the inner and outer compartments when the device is in an inoperative position; and an outlet assembly partially fastened in the valve. An individual may unfasten and remove the cap from the device to unblock the valve, and squeeze both the outer and the inner compartments to push the cosmetic liquid materials to mix in the outlet assembly prior to dispensing out of the device.
It is therefore still desirable to provide improved storage and mixing apparatus, which are relatively inexpensive to produce, yet should provide complete and reliable isolation of the components to be mixed prior to use. The apparatus should be suitable for both liquid-powder and liquid-liquid mixes and should be relatively simple to use. The apparatus should further provide precise and accurate delivery of the mixed compositions. At least some of these objectives will be met by the inventions described herein below.